Paula Baker

Archivist for the NLSY79 Child cohort

Center for Human Resource Research, Ohio State University

Years on the NLS team: 1981-present

Role: My primary role is to shepherd the NLSY79 Child survey from design, to field, to public data release. I also develop respondent materials and manage the entry and coding of the NLSY79 Child/Young Adult publications in the NLS Bibliography database. I present information about the NLSY79 at research conferences and prepare research and data briefs for distribution to data users.

What innovations have I helped introduce to the NLS

The NLSY79 Child/Young Adult has moved from paper interview format to initiate several innovative methods of data collection over the years, and has served as a model for similar studies in the U.S. as well as other countries, including Canada, Great Britain, The Philippines, and Turkey.

Why am I proud to be part of the NLS team

I have been part of a long standing, innovative study that has provided high quality data to a wide range of researchers in disciplines that include child development, medicine, economics, law, criminal justice, sociology, demography, genetics, and psychology. The NLSY79 Child/Young Adult surveys have consistently maintained high response rates and served researchers, students, science writers, and policy makers for nearly 30 years. It has been a deeply rewarding experience to participate in a project in which respondent families have repeatedly given their time to share their stories in the hope that their information would help inform science and policy. Their generosity and legacy give great value to my work. My colleagues at the Center work collaboratively to contribute their skills to creating quality products. They are generous in offering assistance across projects.

Ohio State University Center for Human Resource Research

Resources

This site was created at the Center for Human Resource Research (CHRR) at The Ohio State University to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS). The NLS is a program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. CHRR has conducted the NLS since the program began in 1965, in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau (from 1965 to 2003) and NORC at the University of Chicago (from 1978 to the present).